FAQ

🛫 Aviator Parent & Teacher Organization / Project Graduation – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Is the Aviator PTO a legal nonprofit organization?

No — the Aviator Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is a program that operates under the legal and tax-exempt umbrella of Project Graduation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 33-4150428). This allows us to accept tax-deductible donations, access nonprofit tools, and simplify financial reporting.

2. Why not create a separate nonprofit for the PTO?

Operating under one umbrella keeps things simpler, faster, and cheaper: (for now)

• No need to register a second EIN or nonprofit entity

• Shared tools and banking structure

• Unified compliance with IRS and state laws

• Streamlined coordination between Project Graduation and the PTO

3. How are funds managed?

All funds raised by the PTO are tracked separately within the Project Graduation bank account using detailed spreadsheets (and later, software like MoneyMinder). Each grade and event can have its own line item. PTO subcommittees submit requests to the PG board for reimbursements or payments.

4. Can we still have our own events and fundraisers?

Yes! The PTO can run its own meetings, events, and fundraisers — as long as they are approved through the Project Graduation board. This ensures all legal and financial requirements are met while giving PTO leaders the freedom to plan and lead.

5. Who makes the decisions for the PTO?

The PTO has its own board and subcommittees, which make decisions about PTO events, class fundraising, and school support initiatives. The Project Graduation board provides final approval on financial and legal matters, like fund disbursement and use of the EIN.

6. How do we communicate with the school?

The PTO leadership team serves as the primary liaison with school administration for planning, permissions, and scheduling. Any formal partnership agreements, tax documents, or insurance forms will come through Project Graduation.

7. Can my donation be tax-deductible?

Yes. Since Project Graduation is a registered 501(c)(3), all donations made to support the PTO are tax-deductible, as long as no goods or services are received in return.

8. What if I have questions or need help with a fundraiser?

The PTO encourages open communication. You can:

• Talk to your grade’s fundraising chair

• Contact the PTO board directly

9. Can we eventually have separate PTOs for the High School and Middle School?

Yes! While we are currently operating as one combined Aviator PTO under Project Graduation, we absolutely support the idea of separate PTOs in the future — one for the High School and one for the Middle School.

For the 2025–2026 school year, it makes the most sense to stay unified:

• Many families have children in both schools

• It reduces duplication of effort

• And most importantly, we need to ensure we have enough volunteers and enough leaders to support separate boards

To operate separately, we would need three distinct boards:

1. Project Graduation (Senior class)

2. High School PTO

3. Middle School PTO

Once there's clear interest and enough active members to fully support two separate PTO boards, we welcome that transition. It will also require discussion and approval with school administration and the district, since their support and partnership are essential.

In short — yes, separate PTOs can absolutely happen in the future. But for now, we’re working together to build a strong foundation and grow our volunteer base!

10. How will meetings be run — will everything be discussed together?

We’ve heard your feedback — and we agree! It doesn’t make sense for middle school parents to sit through high school updates (like Project Graduation), and high school parents don’t always need to hear about middle school events like book fairs.

Going forward, we will be having separate meetings:

• A Middle School PTO meeting (once a committee is formed)

• A High School PTO & Project Graduation combined meeting

We’re combining High School PTO activities with Project Graduation because we believe all high school families — not just senior parents — should be thinking ahead and getting involved early. Project Graduation planning benefits from early participation and class-by-class fundraising, so it’s helpful to start building that support now.

If possible, we’ll schedule both meetings on the same night to make it easier for families with children in both schools. While the leadership and agendas will be separate, they’ll be coordinated to keep things efficient.

Our goal is to make meetings more relevant, more organized, and more respectful of your time.

11. What’s the difference between school fundraisers and PTO fundraisers?

This is a common point of confusion, and we’re working closely with the school to make things clearer going forward.

Right now, each grade has a class advisor appointed by the school, and they help coordinate school-run fundraisers (like apparel sales or events) to raise money for class activities, trips, and senior year expenses.

The PTO also runs its own fundraisers, which are completely separate and support things like school-wide events, teacher appreciation, grade-level programming, and helping each class build up funds to reduce future out-of-pocket costs.

We are not looking to change the way school-led fundraisers work — our goal is to collaborate, not compete. We want to support the school in any way we can and create a unified experience for families.

This will be an ongoing conversation with administration, but for now:

• The school will continue running grade-specific fundraisers through class advisors

• The PTO will run additional fundraisers that benefit the wider school community and help each grade offset costs over time
  
  

We’ll make sure all communications clearly explain which organization is running the fundraiser and what the funds are supporting, so there’s no more confusion.

If you have any other questions please do not hesitate to reach out to the APTO Board at AviatorPTO@gmail.com